The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-03
cratic President provoke comparisons that are
unfavorable and comments that are not pleasant
President Cleveland,s ..swing."


To the Editor of the indianapolis Journals
The visit of President Cleveland at this par
ticular juncture, it Is believed, can have no
other purpose than electioneering, for it he de-
sired to see the country he would not rush
through it after night stopping in the day time
only at few favored locations. These election
eering tours have frequently occurred in the last
fifty years, but have. unfortunately. proved dis
astrous to the candidate. The people seem to
regard the great Office of President as one too
high to be sought by personal solicitation.
It is just forty Eve years since Henry Clay, an
avowed candidate for the Office, made visit TO
Indiana, and spoke at Richmond and Indianapo-
lis, though, unlike Cleveland, he Travelled py
daylight. and saw the people. The result OF
that campaign has become historic he nau
sought the great Office assiduously for quarter
of a century, backed by a powerful following,
but died without reaching it. The following
year. 1843, Martin Van Buren,, also an avoweo
candidate, visited Indiana and the West for
similar purpose, but IN the convention OF his
party failed of a nomination because of the two
thirds rule, which was sprung upon him wnen
he had a clear maj GRITTY.
General Scott had for several years been an
avowed candidate for the Office, and IN 1897 got
a nomination from his party. but suffered most
disastrous defeat by Pierce an obscure man
taken up by his party because he had no record.
The "Swing round the circle by Andy Jonn-
son, who wanted denomination to vindicate his
other failures. II has ever been thus, ana VINO
says Cleveland,can break the recordi
Mr.. Blaine Tailed Of nomination so long as
he sought ic, but when he ceased to be candi-
date it .eiven him without hesitation, and
his elecxfI would have been assured had Cleve-
land been better known. His obscurity was
greatly In his favor, all must admit Blaines
greatest strength now for a nomination is his
seeming Indifference. which may or may not be
simulated, and the weakest thing about John
Sherman is his avowed candidacy for the office
When the people want for President they
will call him, as they did Grant in 1868.
1t looks now as if Cleveland would be nomi-
mated again. just as Henry Clay was in 1884, be-
cause his party has no other avowef candidate
and will permit other. Can he be electeds
answer, if the unbroken line of presidents for
fifty years if any evidence, he cannot But
there is still another reason why his re election,
in my opinion is impossible. He has grossly
insulted the Grand Army of the Republic and
every Union soldier by the heartless language
of his numerous veto messages, and II noml-
mated he cannot get five per cent of the votes
of these men. It must be apparent that no can
dicate who has alienated such a vast body of
by his coarse and uncalled for language
can be elected Those yetoes are not the only
objections to him by the loyal people.
He is so stold, careless and Indifferent
that when the day sacred to every soldier
comes, Decoration day. then, instead of joining
in the procession and showing some respect to
the dead, he goes a-fishing. According to his
published programme he rusnes through the
loyal States at the full speed of a locomotive in
the nighttime, but when he reaches Missouri
he remains four days. He stops few minutes
in Chattanooga, but has no time to view Look
out Mountain Missionary Ridge. He then
resumes his journey. ard makes the distance De-
tween that place and Atlanta after night. Here
for distance of 140 miles Is a continuous battle
field where fifty thousand Union soldiers
either killed or manned for life; but what does
he care for such things2 Such stold indiHer-
ence to the memory of brave men was never be-
fore witnessed in this country.
OCT l. 1887. NJ. Ia. BUNDY.